Should El Paso Schools & Businesses Give People Election Day Off?

Election day is right around the corner and lately, there’s been a push from local political organizations and politicians to urge locals to get out and vote!

The subject of making Election Day an official holiday to encourage voters to have the whole day to decide when to vote has been thrown around.

Recently, Canutillo ISD announced that they would be giving employees and students the day off for Election Day so that those who are age-eligible can vote in the general election on November 8th.

“The calendar change follows what other Texas school districts have done to encourage participation in elections and teach children the value of the democratic process,” said Canutillo school administrators.

This will be a paid day off for all employees in the District.

“We strongly believe that this Election Day holiday will not only encourage our employees to vote, it will also impart to our students the importance of participating in this important civic responsibility,” said Superintendent Dr. Pedro Galaviz.

The change to the District calendar will not impact the District’s instructional mandate since Canutillo has accumulated enough classroom time to meet state academic requirements.

Canutillo voters will decide on two important matters related to the school district: the election of three members to the CISD Board of Trustees and the Every Child, Every School Canutillo Bond to upgrade facilities in the District.

So the question is; Should other school districts and employers follow Canutillo ISD’s lead and give their staff and students the day off for election day?